Do you feel the moral obligation to sell window cleaning jobs?

So, I’ve been listening to Joshua Latimer’s Quick Talk podcast recently, and he talks sometimes about the moral obligation to sell. I’ve heard Grant Cardone talk about the same thing. They present it as you have a moral obligation to sell, because selling is providing real value to your customers, and ensures a living for you and your loved ones. This all sounds well and good, but although I actually love cleaning windows, and love making a decent paycheck out of it, it’s been hard to fully commit to selling at the highest price I can, and standing behind it 100%, because cleaning windows is not actually, from my perspective, totally necessary. Although I close about 80% of the bids I give, and my customers are happy when I leave, I still can’t help feeling like I’m getting away with something when I charge fair market value. Perhaps some of you have felt the same.

Today, I was listening to The Referral Engine, and there was a part about Tom’s Shoes, which donates one pair of shoes to someone in need, for every pair they sell. I think most people have heard about that company. And it hit me, to truly get that feeling that I’m looking for, to have the confidence to fully stand behind my prices, I need to donate at least 10% to a good cause. So from here on out, I’m going to donate 10% to Operation Underground Railroad, (https://ourrescue.org/) a non-profit on the front lines fighting against child sex trafficking. In just the last year, they launched 52 Rescue Operations, arresting 211 Traffickers, and Rescuing 400 innocent victims from a life of hell. I’m starting with 10%, but this may rise later, (or spread to multiple different causes I support.)

Of course, doing right should be its own reward, but I think putting this out front and center will help give people a reason, besides just having clean windows, to support me, and spread the word to their friends. The better I do, the more I donate, and everyone feels good because we are helping to combat a genuinely terrifying, and horrifyingly widespread issue. I also think this will help diffuse price objections, because it’s not just me that my prices are helping. Pick something important to you, and go for it. Let’s make the world a better place, not just a cleaner, shinier place.

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I think that’s a pretty great idea. I do want to say though that although clean windows is not a necessity so to speak it is still something that people want and are willing to pay for. There are a lot of things that people pay for that they don’t need and a lot of times they pay a pretty decent price for it. I just don’t think you should feel bad about the price because obviously your customers are willing to pay it and you said they are happy. But giving back is something that is truly fulfilling and I think that is a great idea! Just remember that you have to still be able to support yourself and your business, if your numbers are good and you can afford it I say go for it.

…You are right it’s not…When you sell, you are selling a luxury item, something not
everyone can afford. It’s a service offered to those that want it and can afford it.
Thus when you market you need to focus in on those people who want it and can afford it.

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If the reason for selling is to give a customer a real value I don’t even understand where that comes from.

Wouldn’t my price and completed services if performed well be the value to customers.

If going off this, if a customer is referred to me I give them no value because I didn’t sell them?

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I like the donation idea. So, you will tell customers that you will match 10% of the quoted price, to go to charity?

I think using the phrase ‘moral obligation’ is very subjective and means different things to different people. And of course I have my own thoughts on what I am morally obligated to do in life and what is entirely my choice.
One thing that you don’t want to ever do is hurt your conscience, provided it is a sound one to begin with, by doing something you were mentally or emotionally talked into. You’ll either live with guilt or sear your conscience and eventually have little in the way of scruples left.
Beyond the rhetoric, if you can offer a real service and do it honestly, be happy with the money you’re making and leave your customers happy with the money they are spending, you’ve doing it right in my mind.

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You guys are totally right, its just something small in the back of my mind, something like the poverty mindset Keith Kalfas talks about. Up until about 2 years ago i made mimimum wage for about 12 years 1 year ago i made 15-20 dollars an hour, now im consistently pulling 35-60 an hour, doing something that IS a luxury service. It is of course, great to be able to afford to visit the dentist or pay the rent, but im still always tempted to give discounts or add free stuff onto the bill, because im afraid if I dont do it for my bare minimum, people will see me as ‘greedy’. I mean, think about raising your prices on your customers, and telling them that. Its hard for most people. But if im also working for a greater cause besides myself, i know I wont feel the temptation to ‘suffer for my art’, so to speak. Sometimes the fear of success can be greater than the fear of failure. Its comfortable to bid at low or middling prices. Its much harder to charge a premium price for a premium service, and stand behind it 100%.

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Kudos to you for being a good semeritan. Personally I’d have to raise my prices 10% to cover that. In my experience window cleaning profit margins are thin enough. I could maybe do 1-3%.